WHOLE LIFE INSURANCE. Ten Payment Whole Life PERSONAL GUIDE INVEST INSURE RETIRE

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1 WHOLE LIFE INSURANCE Ten Payment Whole Life PERSONAL GUIDE INVEST INSURE RETIRE

2 NOT A BANK OR A CREDIT UNION DEPOSIT OR OBLIGATION NOT FDIC OR NCUA-INSURED NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY NOT GUARANTEED BY ANY BANK OR CREDIT UNION

3 WHOLE LIFE: YOUR FOUNDATION FOR FINANCIAL SECURITY. Life insurance is the cornerstone of any sound financial plan. When you buy life insurance, you help to protect your family s financial security, since the money your beneficiaries receive in the event of your death can help to pay their expenses at an extremely difficult time. Consequently, a life insurance policy can provide your family with greater peace of mind. Life insurance can also help to protect a business, by providing cash that will help to ensure the continuity of the firm s day-to-day operations and often, the business itself through the policy s death benefit. BENEFITS FOR TODAY. You know that life insurance is purchased to provide a benefit at death. You may not be aware that some life insurance policies can provide you and your family with access to ready cash referred to as living benefits while your policy is in force. Want to retire comfortably, or allow your children to attend the college of their choice? Life insurance living benefits can help you meet such long-term financial goals. A life insurance policy s cash value, accumulated on a tax-deferred basis, can provide supplemental retirement income. Or you can borrow from your policy s cash value for any purpose you wish including home improvements, educational or business expenses with the understanding that if the loan and accrued interest aren t repaid, the benefit paid at death will be reduced 1. MassMutual offers a full range of whole life insurance products that provide guaranteed cash values and death benefits, along with non-guaranteed dividends that can be taken in the form of cash. WHOLE LIFE FOR TOMORROW. When you purchase a whole life policy, you lock in your premium, which is based on the insured s age at policy issue. So, unlike term or other kinds of life insurance, you won t have to worry about premiums increasing as time passes. As long as you pay your premiums as scheduled, your policy will stay in force to provide a death benefit, assuming you have not borrowed or withdrawn money from your policy. In life, there are few guarantees. Read on to learn why a Ten Payment Whole Life policy from MassMutual may provide you with the guarantees you re looking for when it comes to protecting your and your loved ones financial future. Ten Payment Whole Life Personal Guide 1

4 TEN PAYMENT WHOLE LIFE MassMutual s Ten Payment Whole Life policy is a life insurance policy that, as the name implies, is fully paid for after just 10 annual payments. 2 Ten Payment Whole Life Personal Guide

5 IS IT RIGHT FOR YOU? Ten Payment Whole Life may be an excellent choice if you: consider life insurance to be a valuable part of your financial plan and are looking for death benefit and cash value guarantees, but want to limit your payment period are looking for a life insurance product that provides a favorable cash value accumulation within a limited period of time are a business owner who is looking to protect the long-term future of your business but don t want to carry the premiums on your books for an extended timeframe wish to complete your life insurance payments before you retire are looking for a vehicle to fund estate taxes, provide an inheritance for your heirs or a charitable gift upon your death wish to purchase life insurance for your child or grandchild but want to pay for the policy over a relatively short period of time HOW DOES WHOLE LIFE WORK? With whole life, one of the most common types of permanent insurance, your premiums remain fixed over the premium payment period of the policy and must be paid regularly in the amount indicated in the policy. Whole life policies sold through mutual life insurance companies are generally participating policies, meaning that policy owners are entitled to share in any annual distributions of the insurance company s surplus. Your share is known as your dividend. While dividends are often paid annually, they are not guaranteed. You may take your dividends in cash, or use them to reduce premiums or purchase additional insurance. You can cancel or surrender the policy, in part or total, and receive the net cash value as a lump sum. Keep in mind the decision to purchase life insurance should be based on long-term financial goals and the need for a death benefit. Life insurance is not suitable as a vehicle for short-term savings or short-term investment strategies. While the policy allows for access to the cash value in the short term, such as through loans or partial surrenders, these transactions will impact the policy s death benefit if the values are not restored prior to the insured s death. Provided sufficient value has accumulated, your cash value can be used to pay the premiums for your current insurance protection, or for a lesser amount of protection. You can borrow your policy s cash value, up to a pre-determined limit 1. Ten Payment Whole Life may be an excellent choice if you are looking for death benefit and cash value guarantees, but want to limit your payment period. Ten Payment Whole Life Personal Guide 3

6 If you no longer want to pay policy premiums during your premium-paying period, your policy can be maintained on a paid-up status with a reduced face amount. No further premiums will be required, and your policy will continue to be eligible to receive annual dividends. Whole Life offers guarantees for death benefit protection, along with solid cash value growth. WHY SHOULD I CONSIDER WHOLE LIFE? Whole life has the flexibility to meet your changing needs, since it provides you access to living benefits that can help you manage your finances 1. Whole life is the only insurance product that guarantees a cash value increase every year. Whole life offers guarantees for death benefit protection, along with solid cash value growth. The cash value build-up in a whole life policy is not directly dependent on the conditions of the financial markets, but rather on the strength of the issuing life insurance company. The information in this brochure is being provided with the understanding that it is not intended to be interpreted as specific legal or tax advice. Neither MassMutual nor any of its employees or representatives are authorized to give legal or tax advice. Individuals are advised to seek the guidance of their own personal legal or tax counsel. 4 Ten Payment Whole Life Personal Guide

7 CHOOSE A COMPANY YOU CAN COUNT ON. Your life insurance policy should come from an organization you can count on one that s strong and can stand behind its obligations over time. MassMutual offers you a history of over 150 years of high quality products and services, along with a reputation for financial strength that is unquestioned. Here s how top industry analytical rating agencies rate us: A.M. Best Company A++ (Superior) Moody s Investors Service, Inc. Aa1 (Excellent) Standard & Poor s Corp. AAA (Extremely Strong) Fitch Ratings AAA (Exceptionally Strong) Ratings are as of 3/1/05 and are subject to change. Ratings are for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, C.M. Life Insurance Company and MML Bay State Life Insurance Company. For more information on Ten Payment Whole Life or any of MassMutual s other life insurance products, contact your MassMutual representative. Ten Payment Whole Life Personal Guide 5

8 1 Policy withdrawals are not subject to taxation up to the amount paid into your policy (your cost basis). If the policy is a Modified Endowment Contract, policy loans and/or withdrawals will be taxable to the extent of gain and are subject to a 10% tax penalty. Policy loans and/or withdrawals also reduce the cash surrender value and policy death benefit. Taking a policy loan could have adverse tax consequences if the policy terminates before the insured s death. Ten Payment Whole Life (10-Pay Life) (Policy Form and 124-NC-9400 in North Carolina) is a level-premium, permanent life insurance policy issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, Springfield, MA Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, Springfield, MA. All rights reserved. MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing designation (or fleet name) for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its affiliates. LI C: